The so called "Dream Team" in the last Olympics looked like trash, barely eeking out wins over teams like Australia, exposed as being only pick and roll players and iso shooters, with no creativity or tactical skills.
Even so they won - barely.
How much of an achievement is that really?
European basketball is pretty far down the priority of sports in Europe. In many countries it is the 5th or less popular sport behind soccer (overwhelming nr. 1), handball, rugby and even sports like tennis. Barely anyone play basketball.
The finalist Serbia is a country of 7 million, where again, soccer is by far the most popular sport. Likewise with Spain.
All american blacks play basketball. All of them.
Now if you were to even the odds a bit and add up Europe's players to give the same number of black American players, how would things look?
Just sticking to Spain, Italy and Balkans, which I am not sure would even match the number of black american ballers.
You might field a lineup like this:
G - Milos Teodosic
G - Goran Dragic
SF - Danilo Galinari
PF - Nicola Jokic
C - Marc Gasol
Bench:
Pau Gasol
Jusuf Nurkic
Ricky Rubio
Rudy Fernandez
Juan Carlos Navarro
If played under FIBA rules, are you going to tell me they don't at least do 50-50 against last year's "Dream Team"?
Even so they won - barely.
How much of an achievement is that really?
European basketball is pretty far down the priority of sports in Europe. In many countries it is the 5th or less popular sport behind soccer (overwhelming nr. 1), handball, rugby and even sports like tennis. Barely anyone play basketball.
The finalist Serbia is a country of 7 million, where again, soccer is by far the most popular sport. Likewise with Spain.
All american blacks play basketball. All of them.
Now if you were to even the odds a bit and add up Europe's players to give the same number of black American players, how would things look?
Just sticking to Spain, Italy and Balkans, which I am not sure would even match the number of black american ballers.
You might field a lineup like this:
G - Milos Teodosic
G - Goran Dragic
SF - Danilo Galinari
PF - Nicola Jokic
C - Marc Gasol
Bench:
Pau Gasol
Jusuf Nurkic
Ricky Rubio
Rudy Fernandez
Juan Carlos Navarro
If played under FIBA rules, are you going to tell me they don't at least do 50-50 against last year's "Dream Team"?